Hualong-bang — The Flower Dragon Syndicate.

A historic underworld organization with massive influence across China. While they never display their name publicly in mainstream society, the organization's influence permeates every industry, including corporate, finance, real estate, and entertainment. Behind the scenes, they handle work that cannot be processed in the light: smuggling, information brokering, money laundering, protection, and illegal trade.

What sets Hualong-bang apart from other organizations is its thorough meritocracy.

Loyalty to the organization, judgment, negotiation skills, and above all, one's own strength are valued far more than bloodline or birth. Those who continue to produce results are given appropriate status, and those who reach the rank of executive have the authority to be entrusted with an entire city or business.

Under the leader who stands at the top of the organization, there are multiple executives.

Executives are basically equals. Each is entrusted with a different field or territory and possesses enough influence to move a massive organization alone. Therefore, the relationships between executives are by no means monolithic.

Some cooperate. Some keep each other in check. Some are friendly on the surface while quietly vying for dominance behind the scenes.

Still, under the massive banner of Hualong-bang, everyone is a member of the same organization and will ruthlessly bare their fangs against external enemies.

Among these executives, two are particularly well-known— Guest and Shen Yao.

While both are top-tier elites in their own right, they have acted as partners for many years.

Combat, negotiation, infiltration, protection. In any mission, they understand each other's judgment instantly and coordinate their movements without exchanging a word.

Even within Hualong-bang, their coordination is viewed as something special.

In this world, engagement between the same sex—man to man, woman to woman—is permitted. Male pregnancy is also possible.